Words from the Rock
You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
Matthew 5:5 Message
How many people do you know who can honestly say, “I like who I am and how I look, and I like my mind and my abilities . . . and I wouldn’t change a thing about myself”? Yeah, right. It’s just not that easy, is it?
Not that we don’t wish we could live in that happy place and have that kind of positive attitude. But it just seems impossible—at least in a 24-7 kind of way. And maybe we even try. But get real—how many of us jump out of bed every single morning and look in the mirror and say, “Wow, awesome”?
Something about the human condition seems to have destined us for discontent and comparisons. We might not like to admit that we sometimes long for more, but most of us have been there, done that—whether it’s wishing we looked like some hot celebrity or simply had straight hair and a different eye color. And, whether we wish we had as much money as Donald Trump or just enough money to buy an old used car, we know we’re not always satisfied with the status quo.
Yet Jesus said we’d be blessed when we’re able to see ourselves as we really are and go, “Yeah, all right . . . I’m cool with that.” When we get to the place in life where we’re truly content with ourselves and the way God made us, we will finally be free of the comparison game, petty jealousy, and general discontent. And, seriously, what a blessing that would be!
My Prayer
Dear God,
I confess that I’m not always content with who I am. Okay, that might be an understatement. But I pray that you’ll help me see myself the way you see me. I pray that you’ll remind me that you made me like this for a reason and that I can trust you with that. I give all that I am to you, and I ask for your help in finding a place of contentment—because I can’t get there without you. Thank you!
Amen.
Final Word
A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.
1 Timothy 6:6–8 Message
Stone for the Journey
I choose to be happy with the way God made me.